MONTREAL, Nov. 23, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - At the end of the second quarter
of fiscal year 2012-2013, Loto-Québec posted revenues of $917.4 million
and overall reported earnings of $344.4 million, up by 1.9% and 2.5%
over the same period the previous year.

Generated between June 26th and September 24th, this satisfactory outcome is the result of both good business
performance and tightly controlled expenditures. In this regard,
expenditure growth was slower than the average inflation rate in
Québec.

Improved revenues

Earnings in the lottery sector rose by 3.6% to $436.6 million due to
improved performance of draw lotteries, particularly Lotto Max. Last
summer, winners took home over $288 million, including 12 prizes worth
$1 million or more.

The four casinos reported earnings of $231.6 million, an increase of
2.1% over the same quarter last year, specifically 0.8% for the Casino
du Lac-Leamy, 1.5% for the Casino de Montréal, 2.7% for the Casino de
Charlevoix and 10.7% for the Casino de Mont-Tremblant. The Espacejeux.com web site garnered sales of $5.2 million during the quarter.

Video lottery revenues of $248.3 million are slightly lower than last
year. Finally, bingo sector revenues jumped by 7.8% to $9.4 million,
largely due to halls hosting the Kinzo game.

Halfway through the fiscal year, Loto-Québec revenues ($1.759 billion)
and overall reported earnings ($649.3 million) are similar to the
previous fiscal year, considering that the 2012 semester was shorter by
two days.

Initiatives to ensure our future

As of August 27th, Loto-Québec has been providing consumers with the opportunity to
purchase lottery products online. This initiative is proof of the
Corporation's willingness to adapt to new trends, including
increasingly popular e-commerce options. It should be noted that
retailers who are designated by the buyer during an online transaction
receive exactly the same commission as when tickets are purchased at
their stores.

In September, the Société des loteries vidéo du Québec inc. undertook
the replacement of gaming terminals, its centralized management system
and telecommunications network. Some 12,000 new terminals throughout
the network are expected to be installed by August 2013.

The Casino du Lac-Leamy announced upcoming renovation work worth
$50 million to create a gaming environment that will enhance social
interaction and update décors and equipment. The project is expected to
be completed by early 2015.

Progress on Casino de Montréal renovations was marked by the recent
inauguration of its four restaurants located on Level 5: Ajia,
L'Instant, Le Montréal and Pavillon 67. Designed to be warm and
friendly, these restaurants offer a wide variety of food choices, from
reinvented classics to more exotic fare.

Montréal, host of the World Lottery Summit

From September 9 to 12, 2012, Montréal set the stage for the joint World
Lottery Association and the North American Association of State and
Provincial Lotteries conference. Presented under the theme of "A World
of Opportunities... à la Montréal," the event brought together some
1,300 attendees from 70 countries. Loto-Québec is proud of the many
employees who volunteered their time for this conference, which
generated $4.7 million in spin-offs for the city.

Highlighting responsible gaming

During the conference, Loto-Québec was awarded a plaque attesting to the
renewal, until 2015, of its Level 4 certification by the World Lottery
Association. Thanks to its well-supported certification application,
the Corporation was able to demonstrate to a jury of independent
experts that it is able to maintain a balance between its economic and
social missions in its daily operations.

In keeping with the spirit of this endeavour, the Corporation has now
established a vice-presidency dedicated to responsible gaming. As
Vice President, Ms. Guylaine Rioux, member of the Collège des médecins
du Québec, will be responsible for ensuring that best practices in
responsible gaming are applied in all areas of activity of the
Corporation. The creation of this high level department strengthens our
commitment to mitigating the prevalence and consequences of compulsive
gambling.